


Our Chance Has Come

by FunnyDiamond



Series: If Given the Chance [1]
Category: The Lion King (1994), The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Child Abuse, Descriptions of Injury, Gen, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-23 00:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8307001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FunnyDiamond/pseuds/FunnyDiamond
Summary: Vitani and Nuka get tired of being in their brother's shadow and decide it's time for them to reclaim their birthright. However, putting their plan into action may cause them some problems they didn't quite expect…





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the purpose of this fic, I made both Nuka and Vitani Scar's biological cubs – even though I doubt Vitani could be his daughter, and I'm not even sure about Nuka.
> 
> Note: the story is based off The Lion King and The Lion King 2 and doesn't include any events shown in The Lion Guard.
> 
> This is my first multichapter fanfic and English is not my first language, but my amazing beta [TweakerWolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostbyte) helped me so much with the editing and plot (thank you)!

Vitani sighed, resting her head on her paws. It was not an easy day for her: she had to smooth down a situation that could have turned into a fight. One of the lionesses (who had an outrageously long name and preferred to be called Dotty because of the several dots under her eye) found out that her share of food was missing and, of course, made a big fuss about it, as good meat was scarce in their lands. When things like that happened the lionesses usually accused Nuka of taking their goods – which Vitani knew for sure wasn't true, because Nuka stole only from Kovu, and even that he couldn't do frequently because their mother could notice. But Zira's followers liked to shift the blame on him when they could to avoid responsibility. After all, Zira was always ready to punish Nuka for what he did and didn't do – and they knew she still won't banish him, because he was her son. Her son from her beloved mate, the late King Scar…

Vitani didn't really care much about that, but she was his daughter, too. It was not a big deal to her; she didn't even remember him, and, as she's been told, didn't look much like him. Nuka, however, frequently complained about being passed over for the throne, which Vitani always found annoying – the idea of Nuka being king was utterly laughable anyway. Nuka also tried to convince his sister that Kovu got his place as Scar's heir unfairly; he told Vitani about how Kovu was taken in by their parents. After Scar disowned Nuka, he tried to have a second cub, which he hoped would be better than "that fiasco" (Nuka was specifically bitter about that phrase; Scar said that right in front of him). When Vitani was born, Scar seemed to be quite satisfied – he immediately sent his hyenas out to search for a "complementary" male cub, one that should look as much like him as possible. The king wanted everything to go just as he demanded; his daughter and this cub will be raised together, in the same family, to carry on his legacy and genes.

But soon, Scar was killed, and Zira, grief-stricken and enraged, in exile with three little cubs, vowed to destroy Simba. She absolutely cherished Kovu, who, as she thought, was estimated purely by merit – unlike Vitani, who was the heiress "just because". The news that Simba has a daughter only convinced Zira to center her plan around Kovu. She thought the girl was a perfect opportunity to use her son's future prowess… He could seduce the princess and lure her into a trap. The only question that remained was how, and they soon had an answer for that.

Ever since Zira realized Kovu could do much more than just target a princess – that he could get to her father through her affection – Kovu and Vitani's training became much more intensive. Vitani was a skilled fighter; she was both strong and intelligent, and knew how to take advantage of it. She frequently won fights with Kovu, even though he was bigger than her… And yet she wasn't as valued as he was.

Vitani pretended she wasn't hurt by that fact. After all, it _was_ more practical to use Kovu for their plan. And she was always treated with respect, unlike Nuka. She didn't have much to complain about.

"Why? Why is it always me?!" a grumpy male voice inquired, and Vitani lost her train of thought. Nuka entered the termite mound where she was resting, muttering to himself. "If anyone's stealing their food, it's Kovu! _He_ always gets the biggest share, and he doesn't even do anything usef–"

"I already told them to calm down," Vitani interrupted him with a sigh. "Now can I please have some peace and quiet before someone else decides to bother me with their problems?"

Nuka turned to his sister, pouting. "There's no way I'm going out there! They're still looking at me like they want to rip me apart!"

'If you won't shut up, _I_ will rip you apart,' thought Vitani. "How about a 'thank you, dear Sister'?" she asked.

"Oh… Um… Thanks," Nuka said, a little embarrassed. "But they're going to tell Mother, and that… That's not good." He shivered, as if stepping on a scratchy plant.

"Well, that just means there's no point in hiding here, doesn't it?" Vitani snapped. Maybe she went too far with that remark… Nuka seemed quite terrified, and, in fact, he had every reason to be – their mother always enjoyed beating up on him. Vitani even had to stop her sometimes out of fear she would injure him too badly. But today Vitani was too tired, and had a smothering headache. Nuka's troubles had to wait.

Nuka looked at his sister like she just slapped him. Quietly, he walked to the farthest corner of the mound, and sat there. Vitani rolled her eyes and tried to relax again.

"If Kovu didn't get so much food, there wouldn't be a problem," Nuka muttered to himself, but Vitani could still hear.

"Glad you informed me of whom to blame for your presence," she said aloud with her usual snark.

Nuka made an incoherent sound.

"All I'm saying is that if Kovu was getting a regular share, everyone else would've had enough to eat!" he grumbled.

"…You do realize that Kovu is our ticket out of this wasteland, don't you?" asked Vitani, even though reminding Nuka of this never helped to get rid of his obsessive mumbling.

"Yeah, and why him? Why not us? Scar wasn't even his real f–"

"Scar adopted him and disowned you, remember?" Vitani explained, remembering all the other times she had to repeat this little detail to her older brother.

"They didn't even give me a chance!" Nuka cried out, to which Vitani closed her eyes and flinched at the pain inside of her skull. "And besides… Scar might have disowned me, but he didn't disown _you_."

"So? I'm not the one who should assassinate Simba."

"And why _not_?" exclaimed Nuka. "Think about this! Mother didn't let us show her what we're capable of, and I'm sure – I _know_ Kovu is going to disappoint her, and I don't want to let this happen!"

"Disappoint _how_ exactly? He's training to do one thing. He's not _you_ to ruin such a perfectly set scheme."

"It's not only that!" snarled Nuka, ignoring his sister's insult. "Our precious 'chosen one' is going to be king! Don't you think he'll stop listening to Mother? He's already full of himself as is!"

Vitani grimaced in irritation.

"Oh, what makes you think he'll be so good? He doesn't know what we're going through, because _he_ always had everything! Don't you think we're more deserving of the throne? I mean, look – you're supposed to be the heiress, right? And _I_ was disowned unjustly! I think we can do the job no worse than Kovu, and we will never go against our mother! And you can't tell what's going on in his head!"

"Neither can you," Vitani raised an eyebrow.

Nuka got out of the corner and came closer to his sister. "He's not what Mother thinks he is, just believe me on this!"

Vitani didn't respond. Nuka was too blinded by jealousy to see the situation adequately. And yet… He was right that things turned out not the way it was intended. _She_ should've been queen, not Kovu. Was it fair that just because he's more fitting for one particular task, he'll get the kingdom which was never even supposed to be his?

Nuka, at that time, plopped on the ground and started to scratch his mane. "These termites are getting on my nerves!" he growled, leaving a bloody scrape on his side with his claws. Vitani blankly watched him trying to get the insects out to no avail.

"Let's imagine, we defy Mother and assume Kovu's mission instead," she said thoughtfully. "What good it'll make if we disrupt the whole operation?"

Nuka stopped scratching at the spot, forgetting about the parasites tormenting him.

"You… So you _do_ want to make it right?" he asked.

"Only hypothetically," Vitani admitted.

Nuka got up with the happiest smile she had ever seen on his dorky face.

"Kovu won't do it right anyway, that's the point," he said. "So it's better to have him out of the game as early as possible. That way, mother will see what he's really like".

"And what is your plan? Kill him?" Vitani raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not!" Nuka shouted in a very offended tone. "Who do you think I am? Our excuse for a father?"

"Oh, so you have another brilliant suggestion?" Vitani snorted with a condescending smirk.

"We've gotta make him fail."

"Fail", repeated Vitani, making sure her sarcasm is obvious enough for Nuka to drop this ridiculous idea. "Right. And how, might I wonder, can we do that?"

"it's simple. We'll make Kovu fall in love with the princess. Then he wouldn't want to make his girlfriend sad by killing her daddy".

Vitani's eyes almost went round. Did Nuka just suggest something relatively sensible? "Nuka" and "sensible" were two words she was convinced she'd never use in the same sentence. But the idea still seemed pretty far-fetched.

"Okay, fine. But how is that supposed to happen?" she inquired. Really, how do you make two complete strangers fall in love with each other? There's no way to know for sure they'll even like each other to begin with.

"That's what we have you for," Nuka said seriously. "Take all of your sisterly nastiness – you know, the stuff when you're telling me I'll never have a date in my life and die a virgin – and use it on Kovu. Motivate him the worst way you can."

Vitani nodded. The perspective of having the throne became alluring again.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the day went just as badly as Vitani expected it to. Upon returning, Zira made sure Nuka's "crime" didn't go unpunished and performed another public beating. Luckily, she soon got bored of hitting Nuka's bony spine, and left to instruct Kovu on his evening training. Vitani later found Nuka crying in the farthest part of the Outlands, in a tiny space between the rocks. Since Nuka was more helpless than usual in that condition, Vitani had to drag him towards the termite mound so he'd be sleeping before their mother noticed that he "whined" (another reason for punishment).

After a day like this, the best reward was finally falling asleep. Vitani had a disturbing dream about Kovu falling into a swift river, while she was watching him from on top of the rock and ignoring his cries for help. She didn't feel well-rested when she woke up, but she was grateful the headache was gone.

Vitani wasn't the only one whose night didn't go too well. Not getting enough sleep after finishing her daily duties, Zira was especially angry this morning. She expressed her frustration by yelling at Nuka for drinking too close to everyone else at the river, screaming how he shouldn't spread the diseases he probably has, and even if he doesn't, his filthy beard still gets into the water. The scolding session ended with Zira threatening to rip it out if Nuka doesn't learn not to dip it while taking a drink.

Vitani wished she could get out of here. Life in the Outlands was less tolerable with every year. No rain, no plants, no prey animals. Everything was dull, lifeless, and unwelcoming. It would be much easier to simply wait for Kovu to accomplish his mission, and they'll be saved. But why, Vitani asked herself, should she be happy with less than she should have had? Does she really value herself this little, or is the environment messing with her head?

No, it's been decided. She'll get what's hers. After all, if Kovu betrays them, it will be entirely his fault. If his loyalty is so easily shaken, then he brought it upon himself, and shouldn't have been the "chosen one" in the first place. That's like a test: he's worthy if he passes, and unworthy if he doesn't.

All of that seemed pretty sketchy, to put it gently. Vitani didn't want to make Kovu feel bad. In addition, she also had a vague feeling Nuka was planning to double-cross her. Could the little nuisance be smarter than she thought he was? Nah, he was still a dork, thought Vitani. But a dork with a dream.

Vitani tried to mentally rehearse her future dialogue with Kovu during their morning training, but that only made it difficult for her to focus on fighting.

"Vitani, what the hell are you doing? Use your right paw! Right!" she heard her mother yell above her ear.

Vitani internally scolded herself for trying to do two tasks at the same time. She had to concentrate if she wanted to make it work, especially since her mother started to notice something.

"I don't know what's wrong with you today, Vitani, but you'd better snap out of it," said Zira, turning away from the fighters. "You all, have a break. I'm going into the Pridelands to check the situation. Simba's daughter seems to be preparing for her first hunt. We're putting our plan into action soon."

Some free time was a good opportunity to think through the details. Vitani wandered around the pride's small territory, checking on Kovu once in a while to see where he was at. Some lionesses were exhausted after the training and were resting near their termite mound. The others, less involved in the combat exercise this day, tried to find something to eat closer to the Pridelands.

Of course, Vitani was hungry. But they could afford only one limited feeding in a few days, and even that if they're lucky. Kovu was the only one who ate regularly. Vitani could try to fill her stomach with something else so that hunger fades, but that could backfire. She should be more cautious these days.

Vitani was just planning to approach Kovu, when Nuka leapt in front of her from behind a rock. He was holding a small mouse in his mouth and already looked slightly better than right after the training, where he took quite a few painful blows from his sparring partner.

"Hey, Vitani! Did you…"

"No, I haven't talked to Kovu yet. And don't walk around asking. I'll tell you when." Vitani responded, tiredly closing her eyes.

"Okay, cool. I'll go try to hunt some more field mice for Mother. I'm afraid she's getting thinner…"

Nuka sounded so concerned that Vitani almost shook her head at him. It never failed to amaze her that her brother was willing to give everything he finds to a lioness who kept hitting him for half an hour last evening. Even if she was his mother.

Didn't Nuka understand he'd still get nothing even if Kovu failed? Zira would never allow her eldest to become Vitani's co-ruler. Vitani promised herself she'll do everything in her power to guarantee him better treatment when she becomes queen. After all, if he proves himself a better ally to Zira than Kovu, she might stop lashing out at him all the time.

Meanwhile, Kovu conveniently appeared in sight. Well, that was it, Vitani thought. She has to start acting on her and Nuka's secret plan.

"Tough training today, huh?" she said loudly.

Kovu looked in Vitani's direction and came closer.

"Yeah," he said, as his serious expression slowly changed to a more relaxed one. No matter how much Zira tried to emphasize his mission's importance, he could always let his guard down with Vitani. "To be honest, I'm kinda nervous. Mother says Kiara is ready for her initiation hunt so we're likely starting in a few days."

"Well, the earlier we get to the Pridelands, the better. Everyone is starving, and I don't think Nuka can take another month of training."

"I know. But the rescue part still bothers me. I mean, no matter how carefully you and Nuka burn the grass, there's still a possibility I won't reach the princess."

Vitani raised her eyebrows.

"That's all? You'll be fine. Come on, you're one hundred percent ready! Mother discussed it countless times, you'll be watching the princess from atop. It will be easy to spot her fast."

Kovu nodded, looking a bit more confident again.

"…And when the mission's finished, we'll finally get a decent living. And you'll rule the Pridelands," Vitani said with a detached smile. "Then our mother will get you a mate and you'll have lots of cubs…"

Kovu's expression turned vaguely sour.

"I guess... Or maybe I'll find someone myself and–"

"Um, I don't think that's possible, Brother," said Vitani in a more mundane tone. "Unless you're intending to wander into some other pride, you'll have to mate with one of our lionesses. Mother won't let one of those Pridelanders be your queen, and she'll be right."

"So… Someone from our pride is going to be my mate?" asked Kovu, looking a bit confused.

"Of course. And I personally think you're lucky! I'll have to search for a mate somewhere away from home, and you'll be with someone you've known from childhood".

"And you… Do you have any guesses who could it be, by any chance? Did Mother say something already?"

"No, so far the only thing you'll have to worry about is your mission. But if you ask me, I think Dotty is a worthy candidate. She's a good hunter and has strong genes."

"She's nice but… She's twice my age…"

Vitani rolled her eyes.

"Stop being so picky! You're both adults now, so does it matter?"

Kovu didn't respond. He seemed to be immersed in his thoughts, and Vitani decided it would be better if she sweetened the pill a bit.

"But, as I said, don't you worry. You'll have to bring us the victory first, establish order between your subjects second, and only then Mother might decide on bloodline matters. This question will come up only when it's best time to have cubs."

"I… Kind of… Don't really know much about which time would be best," confessed Kovu. "That's the part I somewhat missed. And Mother never really explained anything to us, um– she just told us we have an older brother for that…"

"Anyway, you'll sort things out. I'm always here if you need help," Vitani laughed.

Kovu chuckled as well with a smirk.

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll need help, Sis," he said. "At least, not when it comes to the fun part…"

Vitani smiled and wanted to add 'What do you know about fun?', but then decided the conversation would go the wrong way. Kovu's idea of fun was pretty narrow, as it appeared.

"Stay tuned, warrior. You have a huge red-maned obstacle ahead of you. You'll have to get rid of it before one of our lionesses becomes lucky," Vitani patted Kovu's shoulder with her paw.

Kovu sighed and then shook his head, now looking more cheerful. He then waved to his sister and walked away.

* * *

That evening, it was Vitani's turn to spy in the Pridelands. She wished she could bring company; most of the time nothing special happened, and it was extremely boring. Only a couple of times she saw something entertaining. Once, in the early morning, when Zazu the hornbill was doing his usual flight over the kingdom, he was so preoccupied with watching two monkeys arguing that he bumped into a tree. And another time, Simba's sidekicks, the warthog and the meerkat, had a heated discussion about which kind of edible insects are better for digestion ('try eating termites all the time', Vitani thought). The scene ended with Timon throwing a huge bug right into Pumbaa's face and storming off, which Vitani found hilarious. Timon reminded her of Nuka a little bit… But Nuka was more quirky, for lack of a better word.

Vitani heard King Simba's soft voice somewhere near the rocks where she was hiding.

"…And remember, no one will judge you if you don't catch anything. We're all your family. What matters is that you return safe."

Vitani raised one of her ears to hear better. Simba and his daughter appeared from behind the grass.

"But Dad, why do you think I can't do it? Mom taught me some moves, and…"

"Moves won't save you if something unexpected happens!" said Simba, not letting her finish. "If the initiation hunt wasn't a tradition of my father's time, I'd happily get rid of it. It's too dangerous to hunt alone."

Kiara sighed. Simba nuzzled her head with a tender smile.

"Let's go. Your mother is waiting for us in the den," he said, turning towards Pride Rock.

Simba and Kiara's steps slowly faded, and they soon disappeared from Vitani's sight.

'What a hypocrite,' Vitani thought. 'Wants his daughter to be all safe and sound, and yet readily exiles his cousins to starve!' Vitani and Nuka were just cubs when Simba made them leave with their mother. If he had a problem with their parents, it was not their fault! She and Nuka didn't do anything bad to him back then. But they most assuredly will in the future.

Upon returning, Vitani immediately informed her mother it had been confirmed Kiara goes out on her own soon, to which Zira responded with a delighted laugh (that always sounded quite sinister even to her own allies). Kovu, however, visibly stiffened up when he heard the news. He always looked more than confident, but such details couldn't escape Vitani's observant eye.

"Relax", she whispered to him while entering the mound. "Several days and it will be over."

Kovu nodded, staring blankly in front of himself. He had a stern look on his face. Vitani smiled.

"The princess is very pretty. She has these huge eyes… Too bad we'll probably have to kill her or chase her away if Mother decides she's a threat to your throne."

"Whatever," Kovu replied, sounding quite apathetic. "Good night, Vitani."

"Good night, Brother," said Vitani under her breath. Kovu probably couldn't hear. But he had heard so many different things today…


	3. Chapter 3

The day for Kiara's hunt came soon, and with it came the day of Kovu's mission. The Outsiders were instructed to wake up before sunrise to rehearse the main points of the plan for the last time.

Zira was very energetic this morning, and probably even cheerful. She patted some of her followers on their backs in acknowledgment of their hard work, and used her favorite "repeating for Nuka" joke twice (which Nuka happily played along with, despite it being quite insulting to his intelligence).

Vitani's assignment consisted of two tasks: burn a good chunk of the Pridelands and then, fight off its inhabitants after Kovu kills the king to establish the Outsider dominance. The latter had to wait until Kovu proved himself to be either a hero or a traitor… And the former entirely depended on her, because Nuka clearly wouldn't be much help.

Even while discussing the fire mission, Nuka started to act weird – weirder than usual, at least. Zira didn't notice his escalating nervousness (or maybe didn't think there was anything special about it), but Vitani did. She suspected it was because of the events that preceded their exile: Nuka should've been watching her and Kovu in the smaller den while Zira's party was out hunting when a horrible fire happened. Nuka went out to check what's going on… Only to see his father falling into the raging flames.

Vitani found out about that when she was in her early teens. Nuka mentioned it only once, when he gave in to her interrogation on why screamed in his sleep. Unsure how he'd react to fire now, Vitani sensed she'd have to keep an eye on him during the whole task – something she'd been doing all the time anyway.

"We're lucky. It's wildfire season and Simba wouldn't suspect anything", Zira said right before Vitani and Nuka's departure. "But you have to make sure the fire will keep going… And you, don't ruin anything".

Her last comment was addressed to Nuka, who enthusiastically nodded and went off with a broad smile. However, it immediately faded when he wasn't facing his mother anymore.

"Why couldn't our brilliant Kovu do all of this on his own?" he muttered.

* * *

Vitani never thought she'd enjoy burning things so much. And yet, running forward with a flaming stick in her mouth, she was sure she had never felt so alive.

From a distance, she heard Nuka's shrill voice yelling "Fire!" She turned around and saw her brother rocketing into the air with his tail smoking. He landed head-first a considerable distance away, and Vitani ran towards him to pick him up. Honestly, what was their mother thinking sending him on this mission? He freaked out at the vents, then stuck his head into one of them even though he already had his stick on fire, and then set this damn fire to only one small area, all while getting burnt several times. Vitani would've done better (and, most importantly, easier) without him.

Vitani dragged Nuka off to the Outlands, hoping no one heard his screams. She looked back from afar, the fire seemed to be spreading surprisingly fast. Kovu must've already left to "save" the princess from the dangerous "natural phenomenon"… Hopefully, he won't get hurt – the flames already engulfed the entire piece of land before the river.

After putting Nuka down near the termite mound and not listening to his protests, Vitani encountered her mother sitting on a hill. Apparently, she tried to see what was happening between Kovu and the Pridelanders at the moment.

"Ah, Vitani. Good job, I must say," Zira said, noticing her daughter. "Your technique was very effective. That fire circle was a fantastic idea of yours – I knew you'll make sure the flame won't go out."

Vitani nodded, contemplating on whether she should tell her mother that the fire circle was, in fact, Nuka's creation. Deciding that Zira wouldn't believe her anyway, she ditched that thought and asked, "So, how is Kovu doing?"

"He's fine. I saw him crossing the river. Don't ever doubt him, he knows what he's doing," Zira smiled.

"Yeah," Vitani said distantly. Maybe Kovu decides he knows what he's doing better than their mother does… And then, Vitani will get more than just occasional praise.

* * *

For the rest of the day, the only thing the pride was talking about was their upcoming victory. Some were calculating how much prey they're going to get; others were amusing themselves by coming up with ways to remind the Pridelanders of what they did to them; the rest were just happy to have their dignity back after years of fighting over food and reluctant scavenging. No one knew how long it would take Kovu to get an opportunity to kill Simba, but they were ready to wait to finally have a normal life again.

Nuka was so mad at Vitani for not letting him talk to Mother upon their return that she suggested Zira to take him with her on a spying mission. To her surprise, Zira agreed, and Nuka's sudden happiness had no limits.

The next day, it was Vitani's job to spy. She figured she could use it to further push Kovu to pursue the Princess – but unfortunately, she had little idea how.

In the morning, she and Nuka were strolling along the river in hopes to get a glimpse of their brother. Nuka kept telling Vitani that Kovu was "overly friendly" with Kiara last night.

"He was talking to her and they weren't yelling at each other! That's already good, right?"

"Yeah. Definitely an achievement," responded Vitani absently, keeping focus on the enemy's territory.

She saw a figure approaching from afar. It was clearly not a lion. That was good – they didn't need an encounter with one of those Pridelanders… Vitani noticed Nuka shuddering.

Nuka always tried to avoid talking to strangers, especially if they could be from the Pridelands. It was probably because Zira ordered him to keep his mouth shut; their mother was sure that if Nuka talked to anyone, he'd blurt out everything about their plan.

But maybe whoever was coming up to them now would just mind their own business… They weren't trespassing, after all. Squinting her eyes, Vitani recognized the figure. It was Rafiki, the old monkey shaman.

Coming closer, he turned his head towards the two siblings. Nuka tried to hide behind Vitani.

"What are two young Outsiders doing here so early in the morning?" asked Rafiki with a polite smile.

"Well, see, when the heat from the sun in your land makes you pass out, sleeping until midday isn't really an option," Vitani responded sarcastically.

"When you're my age, cold is more of a disturbance," laughed Rafiki, taking a seat on the log across the river. Vitani scowled. "Oh, Nuka!" he said, noticing her older brother attempting to hide his face. "You've grown. Last time I saw you, you were this little!" He gestured, showing something the size of a rat. "Do you remember me?"

"Yeah, you dropped me on my head when my father demanded you study me to see if I had survived. My mother tells that story every birthday," Nuka muttered, glancing at Rafiki sheepishly from behind his sister's back.

Vitani made a face of exasperation and came closer to the mandrill.

"Anyway, maybe you should get back to whatever you were doing? It's not like the royal family would approve of their dear friend chatting with two untrustworthy, murderous, evil Outsiders or whatever they like to call us?"

"Oh, don't think they deem you that untrustworthy," Rafiki wiggled his finger at her. "Your brother, Kovu, recently saved our princess. He earned a stay at Pride Rock."

Vitani narrowed her eyes. "Oh, really? So he is with them now? I don't know if you can call him an Outsider, though. He left our pride long ago. Must have sneaked through the Pridelands somehow…"

"I'd be happy for him if I were you," Rafiki advised, and went off while studying a fruit in his hand.

Making sure that it's safe to show himself again, Nuka breathed out and resumed walking at a normal pace. Vitani looked back to where Rafiki left – further into the Pridelands. After losing sight of him, she caught up with her brother.

"That monkey creeps me out. He looks like he knows something, but isn't going to tell anyone," Nuka said.

"Forget him. We have to keep an eye on Kovu and Kiara," Vitani reminded. "We should know if our plan can work or not."

Soon enough, the two siblings relocated to a better observation point – a tall tree near the border. For a while, they couldn't see anything, and Nuka was constantly distracting Vitani by his itching.

"Could you calm down about your fleas, they aren't gonna go anywhere until you wash yourse–"

Vitani stopped mid-sentence, hearing a roar somewhere from the Pridelands. Then a louder roar followed.

"That sounds like Kovu," Vitani whispered. Could he be fighting Simba right now? Was it possible that he already defeated the king, signaling for the Outsiders to come get into the battle?

As if in support of her guess, a bunch of birds flew into the air. There must be something happening…

And indeed, something was. Kovu appeared in sight. He and Kiara were running down a hill, apparently enjoying themselves.

"Wha– What is he doing? Prancing around with that airhead princess?"

A loud "Yeee-haa!" reached their ears, confirming Vitani's observation.

"I bet she made him do this," Vitani muttered in disgust. "Way to ruin everything. Come on, Nuka. We won't see anything useful until evening. And Mother needs us for training today," she said, preparing to climb down.

Nuka clumsily got on the ground first and started walking, not waiting for his sister.

"Don't you dare say anything to Mother yet!" Vitani warned him. Nuka nodded and ran towards the Outlands.

Vitani looked back at where Kiara and Kovu disappeared. 'I'm lucky I'm not him,' she thought. 'I wouldn't have taken this for long.'

* * *

Vitani's next shift was in the evening. She climbed in a tree near the border and sighed. How was she supposed to make the plan work when the Princess herself acted like she wanted Kovu to hate her? And he had wanted to be friends with her back when they were cubs?! Ridiculous.

Maybe she should do something about it? The memories of when these two first met could probably help. Vitani decided to try to make them go to the river. If she roared from there, it might attract their attention.

Just as she planned to climb down, she heard singing from somewhere in the Pridelands. These weird Pridelander traditions, she thought. Having enough spare time to break into musical numbers at any given moment. They didn't have such a luxury in the Outlands – they only sung when it served some kind of purpose...

When the singing stopped, Vitani saw Kovu. He was with Kiara, and both were laughing happily. Rafiki patted them on their backs.

Why was he with them? Was the signing some kind of a welcoming ritual for Kovu? Why was Rafiki looking at him, and then at the Princess?

And then, Vitani realized. He was trying to make them like each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering: no, I'm not sure if a certain pair of characters could (realistically) see all these things from their location :)


	4. Chapter 4

Was it possible? Someone else had the same idea as her and Nuka had. But why?

Vitani gasped. Maybe Rafiki was trying to get Kovu on their side?

Of course. The Pridelanders were suspicious of him, so Rafiki was making sure Kovu would want to stay with the Princess – probably even under Simba's order. If the king wasn't such a nagging, overprotective embarrassment of a father, Vitani could've believed this. But if the enemy wants the same thing from her brother as she does… Was she any better than…

Obeying her mother's order, Vitani walked into the Pridelands to see better. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. They were closing from the lack of sleep, but she had to watch the situation until the Pridelanders disappeared in their den.

Vitani positioned herself near Pride Rock, trying to stay awake despite the calming night sounds. She wondered how many more days she'd have to spend here. Zira trusted her more than anyone else besides herself, so that meant she'd be assigned most of the spying…

Lifting her head, she noticed the lionesses slowly walking up to their sleeping place. Kovu and Kiara showed up last. Were they wiggling their behinds somewhat? Nah, it was probably just Vitani's sleep-deprived imagination. She still let out a suppressed chuckle at the mental image before the "oh no, I'm turning into Nuka" thought crossed her mind.

Kiara entered the cavern, leaving Kovu outside. What a shame after such a warm welcome, Vitani smiled to herself. And then, Simba walked out. Vitani got into the sitting position to see better. It was a perfect moment for her brother to attack the king… And then he could easily run down and call his family before the lionesses could react…

Kovu walked into the den with Simba. Vitani went numb, only able to look at the now empty space where they stood. _He didn't do it_. And she knew what that meant.

Vitani got up and went towards the Outlands, still barely able to process what she just saw. She didn't know why she felt hesitant about informing Zira. She and Nuka tried to make Kovu show his true colors – and so he did… But in a way, she felt it was _wrong_ , simply wrong to do this right now. If Kovu was no longer loyal to them, it was her fault. She pushed him to pursue the princess. She let that monkey shaman perform a whole greeting ceremony for them. No wonder Kovu was confused. He was probably unsure of what to do.

No, she won't tell Zira. Not this time.

"Oh, hey, Vitani! You've returned! Did they all go to sleep or something?" Nuka approached her, trying to catch her eye with impatience.

"Yes," Vitani said quietly. "And Kovu went with them."

"So like… He is now allowed into their den?" asked Nuka, making a face that reflected a complicated thought process.

"He had an opportunity to kill Simba. And he didn't do it," Vitani said, scowling and biting her lip.

"That's wonderful!" Nuka smiled with a huge goofy grin. "I didn't think it would happen so fast! When are you going to tell Mother? I know she will be angry, but–"

"Wait," Vitani said. "I don't know about you, but I'm not intending to ruin Kovu's life over one mistake. If he really did betray us, then he'll show it again. I decided to give him time."

"You decided to _give him time_?" Nuka's voice went up a few octaves. "You want to ruin everything! We had a deal!"

"You're yelling at _me_?" Vitani growled. Nuka started to look horrified all of a sudden. "Well, buddy, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Mother _might_ just find out about something if you don't–"

"What did he do this time, Vitani?" she heard Zira's raspy voice behind her back and realized that was the real reason for the terror on Nuka's face. Vitani turned to her mother.

"He stole about one third of Kovu's share of meat the day before he left," she told Zira, keeping a stiff expression.

"I knew it!" Zira growled, walking up to Nuka and knocking him over with one blow. He yelped in pain, which only seemed to fuel Zira's fury. She leaned over him and started yelling in his ear. "What did I tell you about stealing food from your brother? Wanted to have a little meal, huh?"

She followed each sentence by a hit on Nuka's face. A few lionesses, overhearing his screams, came up to watch the scene.

"See? I told you it was him," Dotty whispered to Vitani.

Vitani gritted her teeth. Her anger at Nuka faded away immediately after Zira began the punishment. In a sense, Vitani felt guilty about this – she wasn't going to tell on him, neither the truth, nor the lie. She figured the best thing to do would be to wait until their mother calmed down.

Zira, however, couldn't miss such an opportunity to make her eldest son regret the moment he was born. Vitani almost considered intervening when Zira, still cursing and yelling insults, finally stopped.

Nuka was shaking. Just as he tried to lift his head, Dotty came up to him and smacked him with extended claws.

"I was long telling Zira she shouldn't have kept him," she remarked to her pridesisters, leaving Nuka to whimper on the ground.

Knowing Zira would demand the information she got spying, Vitani decided not to take her chances and went up to her mother first. The only thing she told her, however, was the Pridelanders' greeting ceremony for Kovu. Zira didn't consider it report-worthy and advised Vitani to stop wasting time on such nonsense. When Vitani tried to explain that it included Kiara, Zira's response was "You know how these Pridelanders are – always making an event out of everything".

Disappointed by the conversation, Vitani left frowning and unsure of herself. Expecting a battle soon, Zira was still testing her lionesses and barking out orders, so Vitani spent some time wandering around. She noticed a faint bloody trail that led to the termite mound – Nuka must have crawled away when no one was watching. And indeed, he was inside, lying in his smelly sleeping corner and chewing on a bone in attempts to distract himself from pain. Vitani sat next to him.

"Did you eat anything today?" she asked, even though she knew the answer.

Nuka shook his head in a way that showed complete exhaustion.

"No," he said in a gravelly voice. "And thanks to you, I won't get anything to eat for at least four more days."

"I'll figure something out," Vitani promised. Nuka turned away.

"I can't believe you refused to tell Mother about Kovu," he muttered resentfully. "It's already obvious, he betrayed her–"

"We don't know this for sure yet!" Vitani whispered menacingly. Nuka even flinched at the sound of her voice. "And I'm not sure it's because of the Princess, either – there was a den full of lionesses behind him, not the best moment to attack! And even if it is because of Kiara, how much does he even like her? They can get tired of each other, maybe it wears off after a few days…"

"You're just trying to cover for him!" Nuka said accusingly. "You'd deny that they like each other even if they started making cubs in front of you!"

"So I should just walk out and yell 'hey everybody, Kovu kinda switched sides, I just forgot to tell when I came back!' Is that what you want? Throw everything into chaos? Get your brother killed by your mother's paws? You didn't think of how it's going to be for Kovu, right?" asked Vitani, piercing her older brother with an icy glare.

"I, uh… Listen. I'm not," Nuka placed a fully extended claw over his left eye. " _Him_. I'm sure nothing particularly bad will happen to Kovu. Trust me, Mother would never kill him. She loves him too much. The worst that can happen is if she exiles him–"

"And this is somehow not something particularly bad?" Vitani raised her eyebrows.

"That is very unlikely!" Nuka rushed to reply. "She'd probably just give him the silent treatment and a bunch of crappy tasks like those I usually do…"

Vitani turned away, sighing heavily. The reality was that Kovu was a traitor. In their pride, traitors were not tolerated. Kovu deserved another chance. Vitani leaned down, now eyeing Nuka's defeated posture.

"Okay, look – You'll go with me tomorrow morning. Deal?"

Nuka, still sulking, glanced at his sister from under his heavy eyelids.

"Deal," he agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: One of the scenes is (not exactly word-for-word) incorporated from the official comic novelization of the movie.

Vitani figured Zira wouldn't find it weird that Nuka was always with his sister while she was spying. He frequently followed Vitani anyway, because the lionesses, with Zira's silent approval, could kick him out of whatever place he was at at the moment.

As soon as the sun rose, Vitani went to her mother to get instructions on her spying assignment – and encountered Zira talking to Dotty in private. Noticing Vitani, she turned to her.

"Good, you came early. We have a dilemma, Vitani," said Zira. "It's taking Kovu longer to get rid of Simba than I expected. The situation is such that we put all of our efforts into war preparations, and not hunting. We might face an unprecedented hunger for about a week."

"Maybe we should split the pride into two groups, one of which hunts while the other trains, and then they switch?" suggested Vitani.

"Not a good idea," Zira gave her daughter a condescending glance. "We've trained to work as a unit. You know what, better go spy," she closed her eyes and turned away from her.

"Can I take Nuka?" Vitani asked.

"I don't think so. The lionesses are thirsty and we need someone to serve as bait for crocodiles. Although, if you ask me, I wonder what can attract them in such ugly bait…"

"Maybe that can wait? I'd also like to take a drink when I return..."

"Why would you even need Nuka? I regret taking him that one time: he got stuck in that goddamn tree…"

Vitani growled quietly to herself. It was dangerous to argue with Zira. But Nuka looked so miserable – maybe she could sneak out with him and justify it to her mother later?

Nuka, at the time, was lying under the dry tree near the rock fence that separated the Outlands from the outside world. He still looked sullen, but it could be just ache from yesterday's beating. Vitani caught herself thinking Nuka seemed more focused and collected when others weren't around.

"Get up, spying time," she announced as she approached him.

Nuka lifted his head, and Vitani immediately encountered an impatient stare. It was somewhat reminiscent of their mother's. Zira also couldn't wait to bring harm to those whom she hates… Too bad that the someone whom Nuka hated so much was Kovu.

Their way to the Pridelands was made in complete silence. Out of the corner of her eye, Vitani noticed Zazu flying over Simba's kingdom – he was already on his way back. Funny how the hornbill never noticed them. And he's supposed to be such a good majordomo.

Vitani still chose the path through the burnt savanna. Less possibility to be detected. The ground was still covered in ash, and some of it was sticking to Vitani and Nuka's paws as they walked.

Unexpectedly, Nuka stopped and raised his ears. "Kovu," he said, pointing at two moving figures near the gorge.

Their brother was not alone. He was with Simba, and they were talking. There was no one else around… And Kovu still didn't attack. Vitani felt her heart sinking.

"Well, do you see it now?" whispered Nuka.

Kovu and Simba reached the gorge and turned around, heading back to the Pridelands. Vitani stood still. Her jaw muscles were twitching uncontrollably.

"They're leaving! Quick, we have to tell everyone!" Nuka said in his nervous, shaking voice.

Vitani sighed and started walking away. Nuka leapt in front of her.

"Why are you walking so slowly?" he inquired.

"You simply want Kovu to suffer, don't you? You would never give him a _chance_?" Vitani looked at Nuka coldly.

To Vitani's surprise, Nuka wasn't even angry – he started panicking.

"Vitani, no! It's time to tell Mother! Now!" he pleaded.

"Well, I'm not going to. Why won't _you_ tell her? It was your plan, after all."

"I _can't_!" yelled Nuka, almost crying. "She won't believe me, don't you see?"

Vitani examined Nuka's expression. He crouched on his paws and looked at her from beneath, shaking and – what's gotten into him? – sobbing quietly. Was it that he was sure they'll never get another chance like this? Probably. The most sensible solution would be telling their mother now, or else they won't only fail their plan, they might even ruin their mother's scheme to get into the Pridelands…

Internally cursing herself for agreeing to Nuka's proposal in the first place, Vitani ran towards the Outlands. Nuka followed, trying to catch her eye, which she ignored.

* * *

Zira's loud roar echoed in the Outlands. Vitani and Nuka instinctively jerked back.

" _He didn't do it_? You're sure?" Zira snarled.

"Yes. We saw it personally." said Vitani, discreetly looking at Nuka who had shrunk under their mother's glare.

Zira started pacing back and forth on the rock where she was standing.

"No. I don't believe it. Kovu cannot betray us!"

Nuka sheepishly lifted his head and put his front paws on a rock.

"I agree, Mother! Maybe we should lend him a helping hand!"

Vitani sat upright and stared at Nuka. What kind of games are you playing, you idiot, she wanted to say. We're trying to convince Mother Kovu is a traitor and you immediately sabotage it like that? Are you trying to make me look like a fool? You little cowardly…

"I mean, he might be waiting for just the right moment! Simba is so tall and massive, maybe he thinks it's dangerous to fight him alone in the plains? If we just…"

"If you had half a brain, you would've realized there is no more perfect moment than now!" Zira growled, making Nuka hop off the rock.

"But what if– What if we do it now?" he asked.

" _Of course_ we'll do it now! But Kovu should be the one who kills him, got it?" Zira pushed Nuka aside and ran towards the pride.

Minutes later, an army of lionesses entered the Pridelands. Zira was running in the front, so fast that Vitani could barely keep up with her, despite being much younger. Vitani knew that her mother's determination had no limits; what would happen if she has Kovu at her mercy once she realizes he betrayed them? Maybe that was why Vitani's paws suddenly felt heavy and she had to make an effort to run.

Zira stopped on a hill so suddenly that Nuka bumped into her (and instantly got hit in the face). In front of them, Kovu and Simba were walking through the grass.

"They're already walking towards Pride Rock! Why couldn't you two inform me earlier?" Zira snarled at Vitani and Nuka.

"Should we turn back?" Vitani asked.

At that moment Kovu moved, like a shudder, and then turned his head.

"Simba, _run_!" he yelled, pure terror in his voice.

The King turned around and met Zira's eyes. The fury in both was eerily similar.

"You!"

Zira growled and shortened the distance between them with a long leap. Simba started running, following Kovu, who was slowly getting out of sight.

"Coward!" yelled Zira at the two fading figures. It was unclear whom exactly she was addressing.

Simba was running unexpectedly fast for such a bulky lion. This is the end, Vitani thought. He'll run away, and they'll have to return to their pathetic existence in the Outlands, fighting over food and having no purpose to live for. And it was in many ways her, Vitani's, fault…

"Faster, faster! We must catch him before he reaches the others!" Zira shouted in despair.

"I'll do it for you, Mother!" Nuka yelled, and leapt into the air.

At first Vitani didn't realize what just happened. It looked like Nuka fell from the sky and landed right on Simba's back. And then… Vitani had never seen Nuka being so vicious: he started biting, clawing and hitting the King. That, however, lasted only for a split second. The next moment Simba shook the skinny lion off and pinned him to the ground.

That didn't stop Nuka: he growled and lifted his paw, trying to strike Simba one more time. Many of the lionesses stopped in shock and observed the fight from a distance. Simba smacked Nuka in the face, but Nuka continued his efforts, now attempting to scratch Simba's stomach from underneath. Then Simba hit him the second time, and another… Then he delivered sharp strikes to Nuka's bony ribs, while pinning his head to the ground with his other paw…

Vitani watched, unable to move. And then ran forward to help her brother, but it was too late. Startled by the approaching lionesses led by Zira, Simba turned around and resumed running. Nuka was lying on the ground, motionless.

"No!" yelled Zira, looking not at the fleeing Simba, but at her son's limp body.

Vitani felt like time had stopped. What happened? What _could_ have happened? She knew the answer, but was too afraid to even think about it. Slowly, fearfully, she approached Nuka.

He was still breathing. Their mother bent over towards him, whispering his name. He groaned slightly and opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mother… I tried…" he croaked, looking at her apologetically.

Zira gently stroked his face and licked the blood away.

"Shh, it's going to be alright…" she said, as Nuka slowly turned unresponsive.

Vitani heard growls and fast steps from Pride Rock's direction. That traitor, Kovu, sent the Pridelanders after them.

"Let's take him back to the Outlands! Quick!" commanded Zira, lifting her unconscious son on her back.

She turned back running, and Vitani followed her closely, making sure Nuka didn't fall off.


	6. Chapter 6

Nuka had been clinging to life for several days now. The injuries he sustained were much worse than anything his mother or the training fights had ever done to him. He was bleeding out of several places; he could hardly move and only whispered the same few words over and over: "I'm sorry, Mother… I tried."

Zira and Vitani barely ever left him. He only reacted to them being there, smiling faintly when his mother was stroking his head, and he continued apologizing. Vitani could hardly bear the sight, but she was unable to look away.

Sometimes she felt as if she was losing sense of reality, and absently studied his features. It had never fully occurred to her what a horrible life he had: his matted mane was shaking slightly with every raspy breath he took, his ribs were sticking out, and his spine was sunken – the result of years of malnourishment. He had tufts of his fur pulled out, and some new tiny notches appeared on his ears. His body had always been in a poor condition, but only now it was clear just how fragile it was.

What could Vitani do? There was nothing to relieve Nuka's pain – nor her own.

Maybe she should cry. That was what you're supposed to do when the situation is hopeless, right? Nuka did that a lot when he thought no one could see. He was mistreated, ignored, never listened to. All he could do was hide and let the tears roll.

But that was so utterly unhelpful, thought Vitani. No, she would do something else. She would make the one whose fault it was regret every second he ever lived.

* * *

Kovu was strolling along the river, alone. Sometimes he looked up and into the Outlands, like he was trying to find some sign of what was going on over there. Clearly, he expected another attack, and was ready to do anything to prevent it. Anything for his new king and the lovely princess… Seeing this, Vitani was hardly able to resist the urge to pounce on him, even though there was a river full of crocodiles separating them.

For a moment, Vitani remembered how they used to play together as little cubs, running away from Nuka and laughing as he tried to find them for hours. They used to have mock-fights and climb trees, coming back only when Nuka was already being scolded for his incompetence. But all of that meant nothing to Kovu, and Nuka was lying in the mound in a puddle of his own blood.

Kovu was getting closer, too close for Vitani to keep her composure.

" _You!_ "

Vitani's voice made Kovu leap away. He froze with his mouth agape for a second, but quickly got into a defensive position. Vitani was breathing heavily, like she had run all the way there.

" _You!_ " she screamed again, her voice resembling their mother's so much that it surprised even her. "You _killed Nuka_!"

Kovu's eyes widened. He made a few steps towards the river. "What are you talking about?" he asked calmly, with a note of hostility in his voice.

"Nuka is dying after Simba injured him. This is all because of you, traitor, you… _parasite_ , and you know it!" yelled Vitani.

Kovu made a quick motion with his head, as if shaking it in disbelief. He clenched his jaw, looked down, and then at his sister again. "So… Nuka is dying?" he asked, as if unsure of what he just heard.

"Yes, and it's your fault! At least have the decency to come and say goodbye!" Vitani stopped right before she felt her voice was going to crack.

Kovu was looking somewhere beside her and moved his mouth like he was chewing something. Then he took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. "I don't believe you," he announced. "Simba said he'd beaten someone up, but that must have been one of the lionesses. Not Nuka."

Unable to restrain herself, Vitani laughed. Bitterly, madly. "Your new _king_ must have a knack for withholding things that might upset his newfound servant! Tell me, when did you choose to believe _him_ over your own family? Since you realized you have the hots for his beautiful daughter?!"

" _Enough!_ " Kovu yelled. "Do you really think I'm that gullible? Go home and tell Zira that if she wants to get rid of me, she has to come up with something better than a dying Nuka. And if she ever tries to harm Kiara or Simba again, I'm not going to back down."

* * *

That night, Vitani spent hours trying to get some sleep, but her thoughts kept her awake. Every few minutes she turned her head to check if Nuka was still alive. She and Zira were the only ones who still slept in the mound; the other lionesses preferred to sleep outside, behind it. Vitani couldn't blame them: not many would want to sleep in the same place as a dying lion, but she still felt disdainful at their indifference.

Just as she finally started to drift off, Vitani heard a sound. She opened her eyes and looked at Nuka; he hadn't moved and only breathed heavily. Fully awake again, Vitani realized that the noise was coming from outside. Vitani got up and approached the entrance of the mound, raising her ears up.

"Kiara! What are you doing here?"

Vitani gasped. It was Kovu. His voice was only a whisper, but in the silence of the night, she could hear him clearly.

"I saw you walking away, and followed. Why are you here? This is dangerous, let's go back home," Kiara said quietly.

"Shh, please try not to wake them up! Listen… I was told by someone that my brother is dying. I needed to check."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Kovu sighed. "There is a lot I haven't told you yet."

They were coming closer. Vitani got down onto the ground and pretended to be asleep.

"Please be careful," said Kovu's voice right at the entrance.

Vitani didn't have time to calculate her actions. Before she knew it, she pounced on him and slammed his head into the wall. Kiara screamed, waking Zira up. Of course, she didn't run too far away; Zira caught up with her quickly and dragged her into the mound.

The lionesses, woken up by the noise, had gathered near the entrance when Vitani and Zira walked outside, looking in different directions to see what was wrong. Their expressions turned even more confused when they saw Zira and Vitani were slightly out of breath. Zira peered about before smiling at her pride.

"No other intruders? Good. It seems like fortune is on our side for once," she said. The lionesses exchanged glances. "This is truly a blessing after such a painful defeat – to have Simba's daughter and the traitor at our mercy."

The lionesses approached the mound and started growling, stretching their claws.

"At last they will get what they deserve," said Dotty.

Zira outstretched her paw, not allowing her to enter. "Don't waste your efforts on them! Save it for Simba. He will soon be our guest."

* * *

Zira called her pride to gather near a small hill, all except the two lionesses that were tasked with guarding the mound entrance to prevent Kiara and Kovu from escaping.

"Never had I dreamed this would be so easy," said Zira. "Now, all that has to be done is sending word to Simba. We will inform him that we have his daughter and he has to come here for negotiation. When he arrives, we'll kill him. I wonder how his daughter slipped past his guard…"

Vitani sighed. "They're here because of me. I told Kovu that Nuka is dying."

"Good job, Vitani! You got them!" Zira smiled at her daughter.

Vitani nodded, not feeling the same thrill that everyone else in her pride seemed to be feeling. If anything, she felt tired and worn out. A few days ago, she would have happily slashed Simba's throat and enjoyed every moment of it. Now, all she wanted was for this operation to end as soon as possible. She turned towards the mound and started walking in its direction.

"I didn't say the meeting was adjourned, Vitani," said Zira with slight irritation in her voice. "And none of you should enter the mound. Don't let them attack you!"

Vitani's eyes opened wide. "But Mother, what about Nuka? We have to watch his condition so he won't die… And what if they decide to kill him?"

Zira closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm afraid he will die anyway. But we will avenge him! Now, one of you, you'll have to cross the border to share the news. That sounds like a job for you, Dotty. Tell them Simba has to come alone, otherwise his daughter will be killed. He has no choice other than to give his life for his daughter's."

The lionesses cheered and roared in delight. Vitani felt sick. She couldn't believe it. How could her own mother, the one who looked heartbroken at Nuka's life-threatening condition, be so heartless as to let him die? Why was she so sure that Simba would die for his daughter, then? This was their mother – the lioness who dreamed of a better life for _them_ , her cubs... Nothing made sense to Vitani anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

A few hours later, Dotty returned and reported that Simba had been informed.

"Excellent," said Zira. "Now, call everyone except for the ones guarding our prisoners. I'll give instructions on how we dispose of him. Vitani, you should be on lookout to make sure he doesn't bring the others with him."

Vitani was only able to give a quick nod. Zira, noticing her daughter's distressed condition, came closer to her.

"Come on, Vitani. This is going to be fast and hardly even dangerous for us. This is everything we have dreamed of for years… And when we're finished, you're going to become the queen."

Becoming queen… It meant nothing now that Nuka was dying, and Kovu was a traitor. This was not how she imagined this to end. Why did she do this? How could she not foresee how easy it would be for the Pridelanders to get Kovu on their side? He had never fully experienced what life in the Outlands was like; he was fed up with being told what to do, and Vitani's words to him before he left were the last straw. How could she not realize that it was not the throne, but their mother's love that Nuka was after? At least he'd die not knowing that Zira's concern for him was only limited to a situation where she didn't see bigger opportunities.

Vitani sat on a hilltop near the border, absently looking into the Pridelands. No one was to be seen… Strange. She thought Simba would arrive immediately after hearing the news. If only he would react quickly, then they could get rid of him and settle in the Pridelands before Nuka died. Maybe then they'd be able to get him some help...

But if he stayed unattended for long, he might die earlier. Maybe she could convince Zira to let her into the mound, while the other lionesses guarded it? No, Zira wouldn't want even one of her soldiers to get injured. She needed everyone in their positions right now. And Vitani should be careful to watch what was happening…

Vitani stood up. She couldn't leave Nuka like this. She wouldn't forgive herself if he died now.

She ran from the hilltop towards one of the dry trees further in their territory. There, she picked up the turtle shell she'd been using to bring Nuka water and headed to the river. The crocodiles didn't even have time to react when she dipped it and turned back.

The lionesses guarding the mound entrance seemed to be talking. One of them yawned. Vitani hid the turtle shell behind a tree and came closer.

"Such a shame having to be here while the others get to rip the usurper to pieces… I'd happily tear him apart…"

"Yeah, I wonder why Zira chose us for this job. Maybe at least we'll be allowed to beat up this traitor after the mission's finished…"

"Hey, girls," Vitani approached the lionesses, and they looked at her with surprise. "You may leave now. There is a much more interesting task for you."

"Shouldn't you be at your post to observe the Pridelands?" asked one of them.

"We just had a better idea. And a good job just for you two. To make sure the other Pridelanders won't be able to come here, you should wreak havoc in the Pridelands. Destroy some bird nests, attack a couple of wildebeests – you know what to do. Keep them occupied."

The lionesses exchanged glances. "Is that Zira's order?"

"Of course. Now go; we don't have much time! As for these two, I'll handle them." Vitani motioned her head in the mound's direction.

The lionesses got up and ran towards the border, excited smiles on their faces. Vitani picked up the shell and entered the termite mound.

Kiara and Kovu were leaning above Nuka, Kiara shaking her head with her paw over her mouth. Kovu put his paw on Nuka's chest, apparently trying to check his heartbeat.

"Move," Vitani pushed Kovu away and placed the turtle shell under Nuka's mouth.

A few drops of water fell on his beard, but he was lying still with his eyes shut.

"He's not moving! He's usually reacted to water! Nuka!" Vitani started shaking him.

Kiara placed her paw in front of his nose.

"He's still alive. He's breathing," she said.

"He's getting worse," whispered Vitani, voice cracking. "I hope you're happy now!" she screamed at Kovu, who almost jumped into the air. "If not for you, none of this would have happened!"

"I-I didn't mean to… I didn't know that Nuka would … That Simba would …"

Vitani growled and turned away from him.

"Vitani… Listen, I'm sorry that my father almost killed your brother… I'm sure that he'd feel bad about this too if he knew…" Kiara tried to pat her on the shoulder, but Vitani pushed her paw aside.

"Just like he felt bad about banishing us to this wasteland," she said in a hoarse voice. Kiara dropped her gaze.

Nuka's paw started twitching, and Vitani turned towards him, but she didn't have time to check his condition. There was something happening outside.

"Simba! How nice of you to visit our humble home," she heard Zira call out somewhere close by.

"Enough of this, Zira! Where is my daughter?"

"Daddy!" Kiara screamed, leaping towards the entrance, but Vitani stood in her way.

"We have waited for this for too long. You two may prepare for your exile… If Zira doesn't decide to kill you", she snarled.

"I'm not going to let her kill Kiara! Get out of the way!" yelled Kovu, as he ran towards Vitani, growling.

Vitani crouched on her front legs, ready to pounce. She would fight the two of them if she had to.

A loud roar came from the outside. Kovu stopped mid-attack. They heard growls and the sound of running paws.

"He called the others! How is that possible? They couldn't hear him unless… Vitani!" Zira's voice called.

Vitani couldn't breathe. Her pride wouldn't be able to defeat them. Not with two lionesses absent and her here; this was the end.

"What are we going to do now? They're going to kill each other!" Kiara screamed.

Vitani started pacing back and forth near the entrance. She couldn't lose what little she had left – her pride and what remained of her family. Zira was a terrible mother, but she was her mother nevertheless… Even if she was willing to let Nuka die… "Okay… Okay. I know what to do. Let's move."

* * *

The lionesses of the two prides collided in a vicious fight. Zira was on a hilltop, giving out commands to her soldiers. However desperately her pride fought, they were outnumbered. The Pridelanders were doing anything to prevent them from getting to Simba, who fought alongside his pride in the middle of the action.

"Stop!" yelled Vitani. Kiara and Kovu were right behind her, Kovu carrying Nuka on his back.

The lionesses froze in the positions they were in; some about to hit their opponent, some getting bitten with the enemy's teeth still piercing their skin. Vitani, Kiara and Kovu walked into the middle of the battlefield. Kovu gently put Nuka on the ground.

"Kiara!" Simba stepped towards his daughter, but Zira leapt down in front of them.

"Vitani! What is the meaning of this?" she questioned, her expression almost turning into a snarl.

"Let's go home, Kiara," Simba said, attempting to nuzzle his daughter, but she ducked her head.

"Daddy… This has to stop."

She moved aside, fully revealing Nuka to her father.

Simba made couple of steps back and looked at Nuka's injured body. "Is… Is he…"

"Just barely," said Vitani.

"Do you see this? You've killed my son!" yelled Zira, looking ready to attack.

"You weren't any better… Mother!" Vitani turned to face her. "You didn't care if he lived or died as long as you could get what you wanted. In the last few days, I've realized what really matters," she sighed. "Kovu may have betrayed us, but not without my assistance. I wanted him to fail his mission because I thought I should get the throne… I made him think he would be better off with Simba and Kiara. I'm afraid it's my fault all of this happened…"She gently stroked Nuka's shoulder.

Simba's eyes darted towards Kovu."Betrayed? Mission? You said you've left the Outsiders! You lied! You used my daughter to–"

"This is what I wanted to tell you, Kiara," Kovu interrupted with a sigh. "I _was_ supposed to use you to get to Simba. But I no longer want to do this, because… Because I love you."

Kiara gave Kovu a reassuring smile, but Simba came closer to her, giving an angry glance to Vitani who stood in his way.

"I've heard enough, and it's time to leave. Whatever they planned, whatever _she_ planned, whatever happened in the last few days – none of that matters! You're safe, and we should go home, and never come here again!"

Kiara shook her head and approached Nuka. "But Father, don't you see – what if that was me? What if it was me being starved, beaten, and dying slowly in a termite mound, because I've been exiled and tried to do what I thought was right to save my family?"

Simba opened his mouth. He looked at Nuka, and then at Kiara, as if he saw her for the first time.

"I remember how you once told me – we are one family," she continued. "Aren't they a family too? Don't they look out for each other? Don't they want a better life, just like us?"

Simba's expression softened, and Kiara smiled at him. They nuzzled, and Vitani noticed Nala nod, as if that was what she wanted from the beginning.

"Enough of this nonsense!" yelled Zira. "Let's get rid of them while they're here! We can do it with your help, Vitani!"

"No, Mother! I've had enough of this. We've lost Nuka; we cannot lose anyone else," Vitani said, pleading to Zira's common sense. Victory was unlikely; the pride was exhausted and starved. They looked so confused… Surely, she would understand this opportunity was worth it.

Zira snarled. "So you let Kovu get corrupted, and now you're refusing to fight?"

Vitani nodded. She wasn't proud of what she did, but if it all ends well…

"You're not my daughter anymore. If we win… You will die as well as that traitor."

Vitani lowered her head with a sigh. She then stepped over to join Simba, and Kovu turned after her. She looked at her pride; Zira's lionesses stood still, scowling at their leader. Their glances were travelling from Zira to Vitani.

"What are you waiting for? Attack!" Zira screamed to them, pointing at Simba.

Some of the lionesses scoffed, walking over to Vitani's side. The others hesitated, but with so few of them left, they had no other choice than to follow.

"Where are you going? We almost got them!"

"That's enough, Zira. We're all going home, together," said Simba.

Zira breathed heavily and looked at Nuka's unconscious body on the cracked, barren ground.

"Oh, I see how it is," she growled, putting her paw over him to pull him closer. "You're leaving us here…"

"Oh no, Zira," Simba looked at her with disgust. "After what I've learned about you today… You won't stay in the Outlands. You will go far away, so far that we will never hear anything about you."

Zira's expression stayed cold and emotionless. Vitani couldn't figure out what she was thinking at the moment. Zira walked past Nuka, giving him one last glance before her departure. After she took a few steps towards the border, she turned around, looked at Simba and uttered, "You will regret this."


	8. Chapter 8

Vitani's eyes followed her mother's silhouette as she was leaving. She stared into the distance for a while after she disappeared. Then Vitani's glance shifted towards Nuka's small, frail body lying on a dusty ground. When he was unconscious, his face looked like it had a permanently sad expression, with his eyebrows slanting upward at their inner corners.

"What's going to happen to him? We shouldn't just leave him here," she said, frowning.

Nala turned towards the younger lioness, and then looked at Nuka. Her expression became softer, and for a moment, it looked like she had a strange twinkle in her eyes. "Let's get him to the Pridelands. He's part of the family, and he deserves to die there."

Vitani nodded. At least now that the fighting had stopped, she could take time to properly mourn her brother.

Kovu sighed, and Kiara nuzzled him. She then nodded towards Nuka, and Kovu picked him up, putting him on his back. Simba led the pride out of the Outlands, into the flourishing, lively land where Vitani was born, but didn't get to see in its full glory. They crossed the river, and Vitani felt soft, green grass under her paws.

"We're heading towards Scar's old cave," Nala said to Kovu.

Scar's old cave? Did she intend to leave Nuka's body there? That sounded like a terrible decision. Did she think he'd last for a few more days? Vitani shook her head. It was irrational to hope for that.

Just about as they reached the cave entrance, a blue-feathered bird approached them. Seeing the Outsiders, he narrowed his eyes in obvious contempt, but before he could ask any questions, Nala gestured him to come closer.

"Zazu, call Rafiki," she ordered.

After taking a few more moments to glare at the Outsiders, the hornbill flew away. Vitani blankly watched him leave. Not even that mysterious shaman could bring her brother back, it was not in his power. If only they could have brought Nuka here earlier, then it might have been possible to help him…

Kovu looked just as confused as she was, but Nala and Kiara exchanged glances. Nala put her paw on her daughter's shoulder, as if to reassure her. Soon, Vitani noticed a shadow at the cave's entrance, and Rafiki came in, hurrying to them.

"He needs space," he said, coming closer to Nuka.

The lions watched in awe as Rafiki put several shells on the ground, all filled with different substances. He took something from one and put it on one of Nuka's injuries. Nuka groaned slightly when the liquid touched the corners of his wound, and it slowly stopped bleeding. Vitani's eyes widened; that was a response!

"What is he doing?" asked Kovu, as Rafiki started taking care of another scrape.

"Saving him," said the Queen.

Vitani was afraid to come closer. She couldn't allow herself to believe in miracles. Even if these manipulations had some kind of effect, that would only prolong her brother's suffering. The Pridelanders were just trying to give a good first impression or adhering to their strange moral code, attempting to save what was obviously lost. Nevertheless, she waited until everything was done. Rafiki was pressing some points on Nuka's body, shaking his head.

"He has old injuries, so many of them," said Rafiki. "He must be very strong to survive that."

The mandrill then poured some liquid into Nuka's mouth, making sure he drank it. Nuka's eyelashes started fluttering, and Rafiki patted him on the shoulder with a quick nod.

"Well– Will he live?" asked Vitani in a hoarse voice, her throat dry.

Rafiki smiled. "I think you know an answer to this better than I do."

* * *

The lionesses gathered beneath Pride Rock when the royal family appeared on top. Kovu was beside Kiara, part of the family now. Maybe that was fate, Vitani thought – no matter if someone pushed him down that path or actively tried to prevent it. He wouldn't get to rule, but he still was royalty.

Rafiki stood not so far away, looking up at the sky and nodding, like he was nodding to an old friend. Simba roared, and the entire the pride roared in reply. Vitani did as well, and some part of her mind wondered what would her mother have thought if she saw her daughter showing this sign of allegiance to the king who was once their enemy. But in a way, Vitani felt she was finally free from everything that had burdened her for years. She felt like a part of something bigger, and this time, it was different from being a part of some mission. It felt like being a part of life itself.

* * *

For the next few days, Nuka was unconscious. But Rafiki visited him frequently, and he was visibly getting better. Vitani couldn't believe her eyes when he rolled from one side to the other – he couldn't do that on his own for a long while. She thanked the old shaman, it was the least she could do to show her gratitude. She thought he was just trying to protect the royal family by "stealing" Kovu, but as it turned out, he cared for everyone.

The new life Vitani had felt strange. Her old pridesisters were still wary of the Pridelanders, and the Pridelanders tried to act like they've already been united for a long time, trying to involve the new lionesses in as many activities as possible. Queen Nala assembled a meeting where she explained the new hunting rules for the expanded pride. Vitani was offered to lead her own hunting party, comprised of former Outsiders.

Kiara and Kovu had their own small ceremony that officially presented them as a couple, and Vitani was surprised by how simple it was. They seemed too happy to be with each other, and maybe that wasn't solely Kiara's looks that Kovu liked. Maybe there really was something else in her, in how friendly and non-judgmental she was. In how she tried to talk to Vitani and always asked about Nuka's condition…

Vitani knew she shouldn't let Nuka know that their mother has been exiled. But unfortunately, her absence was the first thing he noticed after he regained consciousness; Vitani couldn't even finish explaining where he was. After some hesitation, she told him the truth, which was followed by a greatest breakdown Nuka ever had. Not even the mention of the fact that Zira was willing to let him die could make him stop.

His condition wasn't changing for the better for a while after that episode. But Rafiki's consistent help and support finally led to some improvements, despite Nuka being sad most of the time and clearly being confused about why everyone suddenly cared about his well-being. Of course, he blamed Kovu for their mother's exile, so Vitani advised him not to visit Nuka for a while. Nuka was still very weak and had to relearn how to walk, so Vitani also had to talk Kiara out of the idea to give him a makeover.

A couple of weeks later, when Vitani finally figured out all of the established hunting rules without Nala's supervision and returned from her party's first successful hunt, she decided to spend some free time with Kovu and Kiara. The princess tried so hard to become her friend, and there was no reason she should resist the idea.

Kiara and Kovu were sitting in the shadow of a big tree, laughing along with Timon and Pumbaa.

"Oh, Vitani! Hi!" said Kiara, smiling at her. "Sit with us. Timon just told us a hilarious joke!"

Vitani nodded and sat facing Kovu.

"How is Nuka?" he asked.

"Much better. And I spoke of him like he was already dead!" Vitani laughed, hoping her nervousness didn't show. "I guess it's truly a miracle…"

"So that weirdo is going to start hanging out here?" asked Timon. "I hope he doesn't come near us. He smells worse than Pumbaa."

"Timon, that's rude!" exclaimed Kiara.

"Oh, my bad, Princess. Sorry, Pumbaa."

Vitani snorted and turned her head towards Kovu. Their eyes met, and she got up, now looking at Kiara.

"Would you excuse us for a moment? We need to talk privately."

"Oh… Of course," said Kiara.

Kovu looked surprised, but he still followed his sister down to the gorge, where no one appeared to be around. Vitani wasn't sure what to start; so much had happened that had to be discussed. She used to think that she knew Kovu quite well, but now it seemed like she didn't know him at all. She still felt bitter about him leaving his family, despite how he was raised to believe he was Scar's legacy, the one who was similar to him in every way possible, and everyone else believed in it as well. But in the end, it was her, Vitani, and her brother Nuka, Scar's biological offspring, who were the most like him. Nuka had always told her how horrible their father was, but she didn't pay much attention to that; now, when she knew how it was to betray her sibling and feel betrayed by him, she finally started to understand. Simba wasn't some kind of monster; he simply didn't want the same thing to happen to his family again.

Kovu was completely silent, probably expecting Vitani to talk first. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about what I did – what I tried to do."

Kovu stopped and shook his head. "You don't have to apologize; at least, no more than I do. In a sense, I'm glad that you did it – if not for you, I probably wouldn't have understood what Kiara means to me, that there's so much more to life than just my mission. I would have never cared to listen to the other side of the story. And I'm sorry it turned out this way with Nuka. I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

Vitani's mouth twitched. She wanted to ask, 'If you didn't, then _why_?' But then again, if she cared, why did she do what she did? Both of them did selfish things, and she couldn't blame her brother for the same sins. As if feeling what she thought, Kovu spoke.

"Hey, no need to blame each other. After all, it turned out alright. You know what Simba says, it's time to put the past behind us."

He smiled at her, and Vitani smiled back. Kovu was happy, and she was finally at peace with herself. All three of them, they were alive, and in the Pridelands. Not the way they wanted, but Vitani couldn't ask for more.

Kiara probably expected her to return, but after a long day like this, Vitani figured she could use some rest. She turned towards the rocks and saw Nuka slowly moving, already a considerable distance away from his cave. He was limping badly. Vitani ran up to him and managed to catch him before he fell down.

"Where are you going, exactly? Didn't I tell you not to walk for this long on your own?" she asked, supporting Nuka by his side and turning to walk him back to the cave. He tried to resist.

"I'm going to go find Mother."

"No, you won't. I won't let you. You'll die out there."

"But I have to, because… Because it's _my_ fault Mother is not here! It's my fault, and I have to make it right! She's alone out there, and I don't know if she's okay, if she's–"

Nuka started panting heavily, his eyes open wide. Vitani didn't know how to help him. She was upset herself, but she knew it wasn't anywhere close to what Nuka felt. She had to be strong for him.

With some effort, they climbed to the cave entrance, and Nuka weakly collapsed onto the rock surface. Leaning towards her brother, Vitani patted his back and lay down near him. She looked into the distance; the view from the Pridelands was much more vibrant than what you could see in the Outlands. There were rivers, hills, trees. Night birds flying into the horizon.

The wind was making the grass move. Vitani knew there were a lot of creatures beneath it. At a distance, near the river, there was something like a shadowy thin figure lurking in the dark. It seemed oddly familiar. Vitani's eyes widened.

"You know, Nuka… She might be closer than you think."

* * *

**The end.**


End file.
